THRICE Upon a Time...

4. The Three Mamsketeers

Rapunzel's Tale:

As Alice once quoted: curiouser and curiouser....

Little Lethaniel blinked up at the tall winding tower and widened his eyes. 

It was very old, and creaky, and the vines clung to it like jeggings. 

Yet Little Lethaniel was most curious as to the words that the old woman had croaked: "When I return you will let down your hair to my commands! Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!"

Who is this Rapunzel that the old lady spoke of, and why in the world did the old woman wish her to release her hair?

Little Lethaniel was of a very nosy nature, so naturally he decided that he must see this girl for himself.

He quickly flicked his eyes around to make sure that the hag had not return, and then he slowly creeped out from behind his shrub, tip-toeing on his flashy Chucks.

He tried to brush the swaying grass apart as silently as he could, and Little Lethaniel made his way cautiously to the very foot of the tower.

Strangely enough, he could not find a door. Little Lethaniel circled the tower three times, felt the bricks for a hidden entrance, but no. It was a firm, steady tower with no entrance to it at all.

This was very puzzling, for who would build a tower and not enter it? But the old woman HAD been in the building. She exited by the gold strings. Then she must enter by that as well.

So much was clear.

So HOW could Little Lethaniel summon the strings?

Suddenly the words of the old woman flashed through his head and Little Lethaniel clicked his fingers in a Eureka moment.

Of course!

Perhaps the strings were actually NOT ropes, but instead strands of HAIR??

That would explain the old lady's parting sentence perfectly. Suppose there is a girl in the tower, and at the old woman's words she must let down her hair to allow the woman to enter!

It was a most absurd idea, but surely not impossible.

Little Lethaniel's eyes brightened, and, as a sudden wave of courage surged through him, he put his hands around his lips and rasped out: "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!"

To his delight an answering reply echoed through the air, and he strained to hear the sentence.

"CLIMB UP THE BLOODY TOWER YOURSELF YOU HAG!!" a high, girlish voice snapped through the murky afternoon air.

Little Lethaniel paused.

My, that was awfully...urgh...rude. Little Lethaniel's eyebrows shot up. For a while he just stood beneath the tower, gaping at the triangular window at the very top of it. But he had already gone so far that he could not possibly stop.

"I-I...I've got a surprise for you!" Little Lethaniel wheezed.

"SO HAVE I! Let's just say...YOU'LL FIND YOUR TOAD ALL OVER THE FLOOR!!!" an evil little cackle reached Little Lethaniel's ears.

"Let DOWN. YOUR. HAIR." Little Lethaniel growled through gritted teeth. Who the hell was this girl?

There was a short silence, as if the girl was considering. Finally, much to Little Lethaniel's surprise, the great torrent of string-hair fell heavily from the window, uncoiling itself as it reached the grass.

"I'll humour you." the girl called down. Little Lethaniel immediately clutched at the hair-string before the girl could change her mind. His theory was right. The golden strands were much too soft and silky to be strings.